Winter Storm in Texas, December 23 to 24, 1998

Temperatures in the 70s on the afternoon of December 21st plunged into the 20s by evening as an arctic cold front crossed through South Central Texas on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. North winds gusting to 30 and 35 mph brought chill indices near the zero-mark. Cold and cloudy weather persisted through December 22nd and 23rd, with daytime temperatures holding in the 20s over the Texas Hill Country and in the low 30s to near 30 for the remainder of South Central Texas. Spotty freezing rain and freezing drizzle on the morning of the 23rd began to cover roads and bridge, making driving very difficult. As ice continued to accumulate, driving became very dangerous for the northern half of South Central Texas. By the morning of Thursday, December 24th, only spotty and very light amounts of freezing rain were reported, with essentially no additional accumulation occurring. By midday, temperatures were moving slowly above the freezing mark and by mid-afternoon the winter threat had ended. Over 400 vehicle accidents were reported in the Austin area, with nearly 200 in the San Antonio area. Vehicular accidents accounted for dozens to hundreds of injuries, as well as 3 deaths in Travis County, one in Guadalupe County and two in Bexar County. Several other injuries were reported as pedestrians slipped on icy pathways.